§ 104. ECCLESIASTICAL OEDINAXCES. 477
time. For there was a necessity for such pereons to recover the Church from the defection of Antichrist. Nevertheless, I call this an extraordinar}- office, because it has no place in well-constituted Churches." ^
The extraordinary offices cannot be regulated by law. The Ordinances, therefore, give directions only for the ordinar}' offices of the Church.
1. The Pastors,^ or ministers of the gospel, as Calvin likes to call them, have "to preach the Word of God, to instruct, to admonish, to exhort and reprove in public and private, to administer the sacraments, and, jointly with the elders, to exercise discipline." ^
No one can be a pastor who is not called, examined, ordained, or installed. In the examination, the candidate must give satisfactory evidence of his knowledge of the Scriptures, his soundness in doctrine, purity of motives, and integrity of character. If he proves worthy of the office, he receives a testimony to that effect from the Council to be presented to the congregation. If he fails in the examination, he must wait for another call and submit to another examination. The best mode of installation is by prayer and laying on of hands, according to the practice of the Apostles and the early Church ; bat it should be done without superstition.
All the ministers are to hold weekly conferences for mutual instruction, edification, correction, and encourage-
1 This confirms the view I have taken of Calvin's extraordinary calling (§ 73, pp. 313 sqq.). In his letter to Sadolet he expresses his firm conviction that his ministry was from God. (See § 91, pp. 398 sqq.) Luther had the same conviction concerning his own mission. On his return from the Wartburg to Wittenberg, he wrote to the Elector Frederick of Saxony that he had his gospel not from men, but from heaven, and that he was Christ's evangelist.
2 TToijueVej, pastores, Eph. 4:1L They are the same with Bishops and Presbyters. " In calling those who preside over Churches by the appellations of ' Bishops,' ' Presbyters,' and ' Pastors,' without any distinction, I have followed the usage of the Scripture." Inst. IV. ch. III. § 8. Then he quotes Phil. 1:1; Tit. 1 : 5, 7 ; Acts 20 : 17, 28. See above, p. 469.
"' " Faire les corrections fraternelles."
478 THE KEFOKMATIOjST in FRENCH SWITZERLAND.
ment in their official duties. No one sliould absent himself without a good excuse. This duty devolves also on the pastors of the country districts. If doctrinal controversies arise, the ministers settle them by discussion ; and if they cannot agree, the matter is referred to the magistracy.
Discipline is to be strictly exercised over the ministers, and a number of sins and vices are specified which cannot be tolerated among them, such as heresy, schism, rebellion against ecclesiastical order, blasphemy, impurity, falsehood, perjury, usury, avarice, dancing, negligence in the study of the Scriptures.
The Ordinances prescribe for Sunday a service in the morning, catechism — that is, instruction of little children — at noon, a second sermon in the afternoon at three o'clock. Three sermons are to be preached during the week — Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. For these services are required, in the city, five regular ministers and three assistant ministers.
In the Institutes, Calvin describes the office of Pastors to be the same as that of the Apostles, except in the extent of their field and authority. They are all ambassadors of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1). What Paul says of himself applies to them all : " Woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel " (1 Cor. 9 : 16).
2. The office of the Teachers ^ is to instruct the believers in sound doctrine, in order that the purity of the gospel be not corrupted by ignorance or false opinions.
Calvin derived the distinction between Teachers and Pastors from Eph. 4 : 11, and states the difference to consist in this, " that Teachers have no official concern with discipline, nor the administration of the sacraments, nor admonitions and exhortations, but only with tlie interpretation of the Scripture; whereas the pastoral office includes all these duties."^ He also says that the Teachers sustain the same
1 5t5a(j-Ko\oi, dortores, Eph. 4: 11.
2 Inst. IV. ch. 111. § 4.